Nurture
by helener
Summary: How events could have developed if Sarah was unable to kill Helena in their last meeting. Helena is still filled with rage, but also desperate to recapture what she felt during her embrace with Kira. Final chapter update. Thank you for reading!
1. Chapter 1

Suddenly awakening next to the concrete pillar and Amelia's corpse, Sarah realized Helena must have spared her again. She sat for a moment, disoriented, feeling a lump on her forehead and a fat lip. She knew Kira didn't deserve to live like this.

Once she was able to gather herself and stand up, she checked the time on her clone phone and noticed a missed call - Cosima. After Sarah was filled in on the patent and the ramifications for Kira, she decided her daughter was her first priority. To hell with robo-bitch Rachel Duncan and her empty promises. She calls Felix, "Fee. I need you to meet me at Mrs. S's".

It was only a few minutes before Rachel Duncan's deadline when Mrs. S let Sarah inside her home, shotgun still in hand. "Helena's on my tail" Sarah said stoically as Mrs. S seemed befuddled by the fresh bruises and scratches on Sarah's face. "I need to see Kira". Mrs. S closed and guarded the door while Sarah calmly ascended the stairs.

"What is it mummy?" "Shh monkey. It's time to go on that trip, but we can't go downstairs and you have to be very quiet." Sarah unlatched the bedroom window as delicately as possible and slid the window open so slowly it took almost a whole sixty seconds. She signaled to Felix below who stood ready and waved to Sarah while checking his surroundings, not sure if he should be more terrified of the prospect of being caught by Helena or being caught by Mrs S. "I'm going to toss you down to Felix okay monkey?"

"Are you sure?" Kira responded, perceiving that Mrs. S had joined the long list of people her mother felt she needed protection from. "Trust me. We'll keep you safe." Felix caught her with both arms, but the force of the catch still knocked him to the ground, alerting Mrs. S at the front door. Remembering Kira's bag at the last minute, Sarah grabbed it from underneath the bed, crawled through the window feet first and angled herself towards one of the bushes lining the house. The bush broke her fall but her hip still took the brunt of the landing. Hobbling to meet Felix and Kira in the car behind the backyard fence and tripping over a toy buried in the snow, she closed the backyard gate behind her just as Mrs. S opened the back door. Siobhan was expecting to find Helena but realized Amelia had destroyed Sarah's trust in her.

...

Helena looked around at her dark, dank sham of a home, expressionless. She reached for the keys to the cage she stole from Sarah while Sarah was unconscious.

"I prayed for your return" Tomas said confidently. "I had faith that you, the light, would return to your path" he said as he slowly, achingly maneuvered towards the cage door. Helena lumbered up to the cage and peered down at Tomas. Her head turned sideways. "You never loved me." Quickly, she unlocked the door and slipped into the cage before Tomas could react. A trained killer, she knew he was most vulnerable in the enclosed space after not being able to stretch his muscles for so long. He made a move towards the door and Helena smashed the back of his knee with a karate chop, knocking him face down as he bellowed a painful grunt. She was on top of him now as he tried to crawl out. She pushed his face down onto the steel bars at the base of the cage. His final plea, muffled by the steel, Helene! was cut short by her words, "You never loved me. You made me this way." Holding her breath, fixated on her mission, she grabbed his neck, applied pressure, and crushed his throat until he was dead. She crawled over him and out of the cage, breathing a slow sigh of relief.


	2. Chapter 2

Felix opened the door to his loft so Sarah, with Kira in her arms, could enter while interrupting Cosima and Delphine's conversation about the patent.

"While the rest of humanity can have self-directed evolution, they'll be doing it at the expense of our DNA and body parts!" Cosima ranted, putting her hands on her head then thrusting them towards the ceiling. Delphine sitting somber on the couch replied, "And to think he promised you all freedom" as she looked towards the door, aghast upon the realization that Kira, likely the most valuable "specimen" of all was now in their presence. Cosima, her back turned to new arrivals did not notice however and continued, "Yeah. SO MUCH for free will!" Then she noticed Delphine's expression, and turned around.

Kira's blissful ignorance to the topic transformed into surprise and excitement as she gazed Cosima- another woman resembling her mother's appearance. Her mother on the other hand only had a worn, cynical 'I told you so' look on her face while never breaking eye contact with Cosima as she put Kira down.

"You were right again, Sarah" Cosima admitted. "We're just a means to an end for Leekie." Felix was showing Kira the way to the bed; "You can meet the scientists tomorrow, love", while Delphine out of curiosity asked, "What else was she right about?" Sarah rolled her eyes as if the question barely registered and Cosima began a well-timed nonetheless fear-inducing coughing spasm. Cosima thought the moment was the epitome of her screwed up life. Felix chimed in, "My sis can read people like a book" reminding Delphine that she was on thin ice in this setting. Sarah surveyed the crowded and convoluted social situation in the loft as the epitome of her screwed up life and noted, "This is one bloody hell of a life now then". She did manage to crack a smile while feeling guilty for enjoying seeing Cosima between a rock and a hard place with Delphine, and taking solace in the fact her daughter was safe for another night.

"I call the bed with Kira" Sarah added with a sigh. "We'll try to pick up the pieces tomorrow."

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Helena, newly equipped with Tomas' wallet and van had already upgraded her living situation.

...

Cosima closed the sliding door and replaced the screwdriver after letting Delphine back in who was returning from the local coffee shop. "I have some coffees for us, and a muffin for Kira", she announced. Felix, watching over the still sleeping Kira with Sarah, whispered to his foster-sister, "suck up!" He then proceeded to be the first one to grab a coffee from the tray Delphine held, batting his eyelashes at her as he raised his cup with a grin. Delphine suddenly was in the mood for a glass of wine instead of coffee.

The four adults gathered chairs and convened around the table in front of the couch, being sure to keep their voices down for Kira. Felix lamented, "So, the wingman is once again the last to know about the latest clone adventures." Cosima, eager to resume her rant about the patent filled him in on that topic. Then Sarah described finding Amelia in her dying moments, Mrs. S's past connection with Neolution, and of course Helena. "Apparently I'm the only one she won't kill," she said. Felix's body language was much tenser after this exchange. He mumbled, "Well Neolution, be my guest if you want Helena." Sarah, perceiving the Neolutionists as the bigger enemy replied, "Leekie would just torture her with experiments. Make her worse, if that's even possible."

Just then, Sarah noticed her daughter walking up to the group in her pj's. "Is Helena alright?"

"She's not alright Kira" her mother said. "I don't know where she went but she's not alright."

"We should go help her" Kira pleaded. "I think she just wants to be friends, but she doesn't know how." The adults, seriously pondering the wisdom of a child, imagined in their own minds the torture that Helena undoubtedly already had experienced. This was true especially for Sarah, who also recalled their lunch at the diner – "_I dreamed that we were friends_."

This intrusion delayed the day's game-planning as Kira got acquainted with Cosima and Delphine, everyone of course trying to sugar coat the situation as much as possible. After Felix set her up with breakfast they could reconvene, huddling even closer together.

Taking the leadership, Sarah said, "Honestly I think our best bet is the cops. Art's got to be obsessed on figuring out how I fooled him, and I'll trust their protection alot more than proclone's".

Cosima added her logic, "And if the lawyer pulled you out of there right before you spilled the beans, they must be worried the police would side with us and help us."

It was settled then. Sarah would head for the police station and help Art and DeAngelis expose the illegal cloning project.

...

Helena was learning that finding food was still difficult, even with money and transportation. She found herself in line at a burger joint downtown, ruining the appetites of the patrons who smelled her coat.

"Can I take your order?"

"Four cheeseburgers." She had seen this food on the menu when eating with Sarah, and this restaurant seemed even nicer, so it must be good.

"Would you like any fries or a drink?" and Helena shook her head. "For here or to go?" This question was confusing. "I want the cheeseburgers here, yes" she replied nodding her head. She grabbed a piece of paper money from the wallet, fearing she would be kicked out and lose the food; luckily it was enough. She was confused again when more paper money and coins were given back to her, but she hurriedly stuffed them back into the wallet.

"You can wait for your food off to the side" the cashier directed. Helena had no concept of basic norms in a fast food restaurant, and she was wearing thin on the customers behind her. By smelling her and seeing her behavior they assumed she was a typical homeless person and probably a drug user. But no. She was a clone; a twin; a killer who was just trying to find food and a family. When her food arrived she was relieved. She quickly headed towards the exit to return to the safe haven of the van, head down and tray of cheeseburgers in hand.

...

Sarah was destined to run into difficulties of her own. Paul had been re-enlisted by Dr. Leekie to help find the girls who had not signed their contracts. Part of the strategy was to step up the intimidation a notch, but Dr. Leekie was most interested in continuing to negotiate the clones' participation.

Paul sat patiently in a black SUV across from the alley Sarah darted into outside of Felix's building. Sitting in the passenger seat, Dr. Leekie was impressed with Paul's stealth as he let Sarah drive far enough down the street before following her. For several blocks Paul made sure to follow at least four or five car lengths behind as to avoid suspicion. However, with his knowledge of the city it was becoming more and more likely that Sarah was heading towards the police station. "Cut her off" Dr. Leekie commanded after Paul reported her likely destination. As he put the pedal to the floor, Sarah's instincts for self-preservation kicked in automatically; there was a split second where she thought about how typical it was that someone was trying to harm her.

Sarah's attempts to lose her stalker took her down alleyways, over curbs, and almost into a stop sign that she drove through all the while frantically looking over both shoulders to keep track of the tinted SUV. Turning onto new streets at any opportunity, she came swerving by Helena's burger joint as the hungry angry angel was sitting down to her first cheeseburger in the van. Facing the street, Helena's attention was drawn to the swerving car. Although a blur, through the passenger side window there was no doubt – it was her twin, panicked and being chased by another car. Recognizing a chance to see her sister in a moment of far less rage Helena wanted to help, wanted to keep eating her delicious cheeseburger, and thus did both while screeching out of the parking lot to join the chase.

While Sarah's wild driving continued, Paul's SUV was like a magnet attracted to the car ahead of it, smoothly following its every change of direction. Locked in on Sarah's car, Paul didn't notice the white van now behind him. He knew Sarah would make a mistake sooner or later; he just hoped she wouldn't be hurt in an accident. Heading for the interstate on-ramp, she hit a patch of ice as she tried to make the sharp right turn which sent her spinning underneath the interstate overpass. Helena shrieked and recoiled as she saw Sarah's car go out of control, causing her to drop the half-eaten cheeseburger on the van floor. "Grah!" she shrieked just as loud as she failed to catch it.

Sarah ducked out of the car, drawing her gun and aiming at the SUV as the highway roared above. Paul stepped out of his vehicle, holding his hands up as he slowly walked towards Sarah. "We just want to talk. I know this isn't easy, but there's a way we can all work together." Before Sarah could reply, Dr. Leekie's window rolled down, revealing him to Sarah who promptly pointed the gun at him instead. "It's still in your interest to work with us," he stated with his soft, diplomatic voice.

"Just how am I supposed to trust you when you're chasing me all around bloody town!" Sarah hollered, exasperated.

Helena noticed Paul and had to get a closer look. What was this handsome man from the townhouse picture really like? She crept up to the underside of the on-ramp and hid behind garbage cans probably set up by some homeless people. Seeing her twin and big, strong Paul was exhilarating and she grinned, breathing heavily.

Leekie responded to Sarah, "Believe me. I'm happy to continue negotiations with you all" his demeanor and tone remaining calm.

"NO!" Sarah cut him off, "No negotiations! Just answers!" and she tightened her grip on the pistol.

"Sooner or later, you'll need us" he countered. "Actually I can tell you that Cosima needs us sooner, and you and Kira will need us later. We have the tools and we have the answers, but we need your cooperation. That's what we can continue negotiating."

Cosima's coughing and Kira's healing came to the forefront of Sarah's mind. Feeling some empathy for Cosima and wondering what Kira may evolve into as she grew, she let her guard down and changed her tone. "I'll get Cosima. Meet us at the townhouse in 30 minutes." Paul let out a sigh of relief, and Dr. Leekie nodded with a smile as the window rolled back up. Both vehicles went their separate ways while Helena returned to her van, picking up the remains of her cheeseburger.

...

Back at Felix's apartment, Sarah gave the adults the unfortunate update. Felix was to stay behind with Kira while Cosima and Sarah confronted Leekie. "Could I...Could I come too?" Delphine asked ever so delicately. "I have to face Leekie and tell him I'm with you now." Sarah scratched her head, wanting to find a justification for excluding her. Cosima to the rescue noted, "She can help us. She knows him. She'll have a better idea if he's telling the truth or not."

Sarah with her guard still down capitulated, "Alright, welcome to the party Delphine". Delphine grinned and tiptoed over to the other side of the loft to grab her coat. Sarah whispered to Cosima, "She's your girlfriend again then?" giving her a jab. Another epitome of Cosima's screwed up life- getting ready to negotiate for her health and maybe life, while Sarah and Felix are fixated on her relationship with Delphine. She rolled her eyes and head up towards the ceiling. This group was getting really good at keeping the mood light somehow she thought.

As the three girls arrived outside the townhouse, Paul and Leekie pulled up right behind them. Sarah had her gun out again, and there was a stare-down between the three scientists while Paul opened the door with Sarah just behind him. Paul, always vigilant noticed the smell. "Why does it smell like cheeseburgers in here?" – a slightly disgusted look on his face. "Shite, that's probably the blood...great place for a party" Sarah commented. They walked in making sure to steer clear of the blood trail left behind by Helena's wrath. On Paul's mind was the hope that he hadn't ruined Sarah's trust in him.

As Cosima shut the door behind her, she took a deep breath before her tirade. "You patented us! You tagged us like we were livestock!" pointing viciously at Leekie before pounding her open hand on the wall. Sarah and Paul were taken aback as they arranged their chairs at the table away from the blood. Leekie was too, backing up against the wall near the entrance to the bedroom. His response was to his former colleague however. "Delphine, why?...You know we mean well...tell them" he pleaded. She froze up, covering her face and looking down to the ground while sitting on the couch.

Already this poker game was not going as Leekie planned. He needed to evoke sympathy, somehow. "Remember our goal in all of this" he started. "You can usher in a new era for humanity. We're scientists; we want to improve the human condition. And remember, we helped create you. We still have your best interests in mind."

The word 'scientist' drew Helena out from the bathroom during this monologue. He finished, and she was behind him.

Sarah and Paul sprung to their feet. Cosima and Delphine were terrified. Helena had her knife pointed underneath Leekie's chin, already cutting him while her other arm tied his arms up. "Don't do it Helena! Calm down!" her sister gasped.

Helena whispered into Leekie's ear, "You think you can play God, scientist?" Then she angled her head in front of his. "Look at me; look at what you made." She let go of his arms, pressed his neck against the wall, and thrust the fish blade into his chest. She pulled the blade back out, and he sunk to the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

Dr. Leekie met his demise at the hands of his white whale, and Helena's latest murder sent a shockwave through the room. Paul uncharacteristically hesitated, just steps away from Helena. Was this good or bad for him? Should he kill her in revenge or use her against the rest of the Neolutionists? Delphine had fallen to the floor, dumbstruck and beginning to weep. Cosima was hunched over herself. She was processing just how terrifying Helena was in real life as well as the destruction of years of experience and knowledge that could have saved her life. Did her outburst activate Helena's rage?

Sarah even took a moment to calculate the situation. On one hand, another adversary had been eliminated; she had even considered doing it herself. Still, she couldn't help but be furious with Helena. Where would she stop? Sarah pointed the gun at her while Paul gathered himself and stood ready to fight hand to hand to disarm Helena.

"I won't harm you!" Helena cried out, clenching her teeth and pointing the knife back and forth at all of the witnesses. Then she realized the knife was still threatening, was taken aback by her instinctual reaction to point it at them, and then slowly offered it towards Paul. He grabbed the fish-blade and slowly backed away as Helena flashed him a smitten grin. She also squeaked out a dainty "Hi" while almost blushing even though it wasn't quite possible with her pasty weathered skin. Her gaze turned towards Sarah who still had the gun pointed straight at her. "Don't hurt me Sarah!"

"How are we supposed to not hurt you while you keep killing people!" Sarah demanded. The moment brought fresh anguish for her birth-mother's death, but she also had an acute sense that there was something different about Helena this time.

"I didn't mean to...I don't know what happened; it was an accident" Helena said softly, bowing her head in shame. She had a blank look on her face that reminded Sarah of Beth's expression just before jumping in front of the train. "I need your help" Helena begged. "I suppose you'll want to tie me up again" she finished as she held out her hands.

Everyone in the room was stunned. This was clearly more than just a 'psycho-sister', but how could she be trusted? Paul found some duct-tape in the kitchen at Sarah's request. He tossed it to her, who first bound Helena's hands then sat her down at a chair by the kitchen counter and bound her legs as well. Until the group could decide their next moves, Helena was spared once again.

Paul was ready for crisis management mode once more. "Neolution knows about Felix's place. It's the last place Dr. Leekie checked in with them – before we started tailing you." This advice was insulting to Sarah. "Riiight. You're working for them again now, so I trust you just about as much as Helena."

"Only Olivier, Leekie, and I knew about this address" Paul implored. "You're safest here now. They'll be looking for you there when they don't hear back from Leekie. Believe me." Sarah had played cat and mouse with him enough to have a good read on him now. This wasn't Paul the military-trained monitor. This was the Paul who was falling for Sarah. Which meant that Rachel Duncan or whoever else from the Neolution camp might be heading towards Kira at that very moment. With those stakes, she called Felix and told him to grab Delphine's rental car and get himself and Kira over there.

"We need our laptops too!" Cosima blurted out. "And the genome." Although she was pretty sure it wasn't psychologically triggered, the thought of not having Dr. Leekie's expertise to study and treat her sickness seemed to induce another coughing spasm. This one was worse than before, and she became the third person to have their blood on the townhouse's floor.

...

Paul had offered to take care of the body, which still left Sarah feeling uneasy. He might really be going to contact Rachel Duncan just in time for Kira to arrive. On the other hand, this might be his chance to break free from Neolution's grip. Either way, no one else had any idea of what to do with Dr. Leekie, and she had to wait for Kira. Sarah, Delphine, and Cosima took to cleaning up all of the blood left by both murder victims while Helena observed them from her seat with surprising patience. The cleaning was not an easy task and it was no coincidence that Sarah cleaned up the area where Dr. Leekie was killed while Cosima and Delphine cleaned up the trail of blood left by Amelia. When the three were finished, they returned to the couches in silence, blood boiling once again in contempt for Helena.

Trying to keep their voices down so Helena wouldn't hear, Cosima and Sarah broke the silence by discussing what to do with Helena. "What reason do we have to keep her?" Cosima asked as she opened the floor for debate. Sarah, conflicted as ever on account of Helena's erratic behavior was stumped.

"None" Sarah admitted. "We can't let her go out on another rampage but...shit" She paused, trying to organize her thoughts. "How do I still feel sympathy for her? She's a psycho but she's so lost and confused at the same time...If we do whack her it has to be somewhere else...too much death 'ere already."

"I think know what you mean" Delphine chimed in. "She's a product of her environment. Neglected, abused, manipulated..."

"Maybe that could have happened to any one of us" Cosima hypothesized. "None of us had a say in the environment we were placed in. And isn't it a little unethical to just execute her?" Cosima's hands reached out to Sarah and Delphine as to place the rhetorical question up for discussion.

"I can help protect Kira!" Helena called to them. "Tomas said the scientists want her."

"Well Tomas wants her too!" Sarah jumped up to challenge her twin. "So maybe you'll just take her back to him and your good old crusade!" She marched towards Helena, frustration boiling over.

"I killed him too" Helena bluntly stated. Sarah stopped in her tracks. Helena slouched and made an awkward grimace, not sure if this information helped or hurt her chances. Sarah remembered how conflicted Helena was when Tomas confronted them. On one hand she had been trying to break away from Tomas, but even after killing him she couldn't stop herself from killing a scientist. She still couldn't contain the years of programming and training at Tomas and Maggie Chen's hands, even now that they were both dead.

"Helena. You've got to stop killing people!" Sarah demanded. "How can we trust you?" Helena stiffened and leaned towards Sarah even though she was tied up. "I don't want to kill any more" she lamented. Her eyes started to tear up. "I..." and she was cut off when the door opened, jolting everyone else in the room. It was just Felix holding Kira's hand while juggling two laptops and Cosima's genome. He noticed Helena and nearly dumped all of the priceless hardware and genetic data on the floor. Not wanting to scare Kira he restrained himself, but still looked around awestruck at the rest of his companions for answers.

Sarah gave Kira a hug as Helena looked on with a hopeful expression on her face. "Helena!" Kira announced. She scurried over to her tied up aunt while Felix sought answers from Sarah. "I thought I was protecting Kira but you had me bring her straight to Helener?"

"She pounced on Dr. Leekie and killed him when we got here" Sarah quietly explained. "I don't know what to do with bloody Helena, but we're supposed to be safe here assuming Paul is still on our side." Felix turned away in disbelief.

Sarah called Kira back to them. No one would give the little girl a straight answer as to why Helena was tied up, but for the moment she was content to play with Cosima's dreadlocks.

Meanwhile, Delphine made her way over to the bedroom to get some air. She knew she was in for the long haul now, and aside from being on the run from the remainder of the Neolution machine, she had to work desperately to uncover the secrets to Cosima's illness. She noticed Helena's coat lying on the floor. Next to it was a letter with a big heart on it.

"I found this with Helena's things" she said as she brought it to Sarah who gasped at realizing how Helena had originally found Kira. Helena noticed the letter too and her face lit up. Sarah walked over to her. "This is how you looked us up? What did you plan to do with her?" The sudden interrogation turned Helena sullen.

"I could never let anything bad happen to her after meeting her, Sarah. I promise. She is an angel" Helena's eyes started to tear up again, but Sarah didn't have the sympathy. Therapist would have been her last career choice if she had ever thought she had a chance at a legitimate career. She was stern, staring straight into Helena. "Helena, if you make one move toward her, if you take one step toward her, you're dead. If you can't keep you're shit together, if you decide you feel like killing someone again, I don't care who, that's it."

Cosima sensed the tension at the table and moved closer to observe while Felix and Delphine occupied Kira's attention. Tears were streaking down both of Helena's cheeks. She responded to Sarah, "I will try Sarah. I will. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I don't want these thoughts. When I saw Kira I just wanted to...I wanted to..." It seemed like the tug of war between wanting to change and the violence she had been rewarded for was going on right before Sarah and Cosima's eyes. "I don't know the word" Helena sobbed.

"What is it?" Cosima prodded. "What did you want to do?" Helena gathered herself. "When you put your arms out. When you hold someone."

"A hug" Sarah realized. "You just wanted to give her a hug." "Yes!" Helena admitted. "That is all. She's an angel." Letting her guard down finally, Sarah leaned down and put an arm around her tied up twin. Despite all of the killing, their connection did feel as strong as ever. Helena couldn't hug back, but she rested her head on Sarah's arm and felt like there was a chance they could still be a family.

...

Back in Scarborough things hadn't been this good in months. Donnie was playing with the kids while Alison was enjoying an iced tea in the upstairs living room. With the rest of the family occupied and being in such a good mood, she thought it might be nice to check in with Cosima to see how she and Sarah were doing and if they signed their contracts. Moving downstairs she dialed Cosima.

"Hi Cosima, how are you? Have things been ok with you and Sarah?"

"Nottt quite" Cosima admitted. "Alison, we found something in our DNA. Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hm. Well I have to stay updated I suppose. Ok, you can tell me." Cosima had agonized over whether Alison would be better off in the dark – ignorance and bliss – but the more she learned about Neolution's network, the clearer it became that the clones would need all hands on deck (maybe even including Helena).

After learning of the patent and the lies, Alison's thoughts immediately went to Aynsley. Was she really her monitor? Was it Mira or Charity? Donnie? Still, she was a horrible person for letting Aynsley die face down in the sink. But now, this meant that the police might be looking for clues rather than Neolution just pretending like their monitor was never there.

"So much for getting the week off to a good start" she replied to Cosima. She made her way over to the wine rack and found one of her favorite bottles. "So what do you think they'll do next?"

"We're assuming they'll still be trying to get their hands on Kira" Cosima reported. "And when they realize Dr. Leekie is missing...they'll probably be looking for us all again. Except you though. Dr. Leekie was still trying to get us to sign agreements, but since you already did you might be ok." Cosima felt sorry for Alison and wanted to paint as rosy a picture as possible, even though she sort of signed her life away.

"I'd still like to help if I can. Obviously we're still all in this together."

"Really...you don't have to". Alison on the other end had tensed up. Cosima was being polite, but Alison's mind was made up.

"No, I want to. I'm coming back. I'll see you tomorrow Cosima." She hung up and took a deep, determined breath. She uncorked the wine bottle.


	4. Chapter 4

Alison's thoughts were wandering back to Donnie as she approached the city in her empty minivan. For a long time she sensed that her husband felt like marriage was just another job rather than a loving commitment or a journey between two best friends. He no longer enjoyed the ups and downs that came with being a husband. Did he feel that way about being a father too? Or maybe, this is just what most men feel like when they're his age? That's what _Good Housekeeping _would say, but they didn't have any articles on 'What if your husband is a monitor?' Even if he wasn't a monitor, could she risk everything to help the rest of her sisters knowing that only Donnie would be left behind to take care of Oscar and Gemma?

At Neolution headquarters, Paul was meeting with Rachel Duncan on the subject of Dr. Leekie's murder.

"Paul Dierden". Rachel was looking over their files on him as he sat ready for another interrogation. "This is the second person in a row you were entrusted to protect." She stared back at him blankly.

"It was a sniper shot. We were in position to follow Sarah, but he stepped outside the car to make a phone call. After he hung up, they hit him. I saw a girl with blond hair about a hundred yards away run down an alley. By the time I had Dr. Leekie's body in the backseat she was gone. I looked for her, but it was clear someone drove her out of there."

"The work of Helena and Tomas again no doubt" Rachel observed. "Fortunately we have many brilliant scientists working for us, but the number of viable research subjects is getting precarious. We cannot afford for Helena to kill any more, and we cannot afford to let them evade us any further. Come with me." She stood up and led Paul back to the elevators.

At the townhouse, a family breakfast was the first try at domesticating Helena. Beth and Paul had always eaten very healthy, so any sugary cereals that Kira was used to and Helena would have liked were nowhere to be found. Helena and Kira both stared at their bran cereal in disappointment.

"Uncle Felix, why don't you have to eat this cereal?" Kira asked. "I have coffee, monkey. That's what adults have for breakfast."

Sarah added from the kitchen, "And just like a good breakfast, if adults don't have coffee they're not ready for a big day."

"But Helena's eating cereal like me!" Kira pointed out. "Isn't Helena an adult?" Sarah and Felix looked at each other, not sure how to categorize Helena. "I think I would like the coffee" Helena noted. "And you can put sugar in it, yes?" She looked hopeful as she gnawed on her spoon.

"You're not ready for coffee" Sarah said as she wanted to quickly shoot that idea down. Kira was still confused. Helena turned somber and dropped her spoon into the bowl splashing milk and cereal onto the table. Kira was giggling and starting to get ideas of playing with her own cereal.

Oye!" Sarah snipped at Helena. "You've got a long way to go Helena. Eat." Sarah wondered if she was raising two children now. She couldn't hold a gun (which she had nearby) to her head to make her eat cereal, but luckily Helena complied.

Kira felt sorry for Helena being scolded. "You've been bad Helena, haven't you?"

"Yes" she replied as she looked down, slowly chewing her food. "But I want to be good. I want to be...redeemed".

"Mrs. S. said my mum is starting to be good" Kira noted. "And you're just like her; if she can, maybe you can too."

"You are very kind..." Helena replied. She wanted to think of a new loving nickname for Kira, but, drawing a blank she just combined previous ones... "Angel-monkey". Sarah and Felix almost snorted out some of their coffee laughing at her. Helena looked on in bewilderment.

...

Beth's phone rang: an unknown caller on the caller id. Sarah answered it, and to her surprise it was Mrs. S.

"Sarah, I'm in trouble. After you snatched Kira away...they found me."

"I saw Amelia's photo" Sarah volleyed back. "You're working with them. You're a monitor or something, yeah?" Though she didn't want to admit it, the tone of Siobhan's voice made Sarah very nervous. Mrs. S. had always been rock solid, but right now she was deathly afraid.

"I wanted to tell you before, Sarah. Those days were such a long time ago. When I realized the implications of what we were really going to do, I got out. I thought that by keeping you out of their grip I'd paid my debt for the things I had done...fate would have it I was wrong." Sarah could barely process this bombshell before Paul's voice came over the phone.

"Sarah, it's Paul. We can still figure this out if you're just willing to talk."

"Look who's back with Neolution. What's your job for them now?" At least he hadn't given up their location for the moment.

"Trying to help...Sarah, it's time to realize this isn't going away. Siobhan and I both have our debts. You can help us. You can help your friend Cosima..."

A tear came to Sarah's eyes, knowing full well that everyone would be looking to her- the de facto leader of their resistance to Neolution.

"What about Kira. You know they just want to come after my daughter." Paul sat back at a loss for words as to how to get through to Sarah. Mrs. S. was being led out of the room by Daniel Rosen while Rachel Duncan sat down at the conference table, joining the conversation.

"Your foster mother will tell us quite a good deal about Kira. We do have ways of ensuring that. Still, we would prefer to collect our information in a much more civil manner Sarah."

"She's a good woman you bastards". And this is how Sarah truly felt recently. Siobhan gave her a home, a brother, took care of Kira for ten months, and apparently kept her from being hunted by these mad scientists until now. She didn't have to do any of those things. With her soft side ever growing, Sarah had to do something to help her. "Just leave her alone you bloody assholes. I'll call you back in a couple hours."

Sarah sat down, face down in the palm of her hands. She hadn't put the gun down all day until now, still unsure of Helena. Now Mrs. S. was about to be tortured, experimented on, or both; the pressure was becoming unbearable. That's when Alison knocked on the door; Helena got up from the couch to answer it.

"OHGOD!" Alison flinched in horror, hiding behind her purse that she held in front of her face. She was reaching for her pepper spray but couldn't grab it in the midst of her panic.

"God?" Helena asked. Then she realized Alison was another copy. Tomas' daily instructions jolted back to her. "They have no souls. God wills them to be rid from this Earth."

Felix popped up behind Helena to welcome Alison. "Hey darling don't worry. Helener's having a good day today." That quick reminder and her true desire to stay well behaved helped Helena choose tolerance at that moment. Alison was still very hesitant and slinked past Helena through the doorway. Helena turned around saying "Nice to meet you" and she held her hand out. Instinctually, Alison shook her hand but was still in shock from actually coming face to face with the killer. Finally she was able to respond "Pleased to meet you Helena, I'm Alison."

Despite the greetings, it was time to get to work on saving Mrs. S. Sarah turned around from her seat at the kitchen and announced, "You've got good timing..."

Alison knew something else must have gone wrong since the night before. The worry in her eyes grew, her grimace tightened. This could be a very bad week.

...

Alison, Sarah, and Helena sat on the couch while Cosima video-phoned in from Delphine's hotel room; they had been working on the genetic data all day. Kira was with Felix in the bedroom as he tried to occupy her attention away from the latest crisis.

Cosima's strategy had always been to engage the Neolutionists whenever possible. Now it looked like the genetic-identicals had no choice but to do just that. She noted a pattern in their tactics. "They want to keep negotiating with us. It's as if they're playing poker, and now they know they have the upper hand by holding Mrs. S. and maybe a cure for the respiratory problems." She was coughing intermittently; it looked like it was getting worse.

"But what do we have to fight back with?" Sarah asked. "They know everything about us so they know all our cards." Helena looked on with concerned curiosity. She wanted to stay obedient but also wanted to know what poker was.

"Trrruue, but we still have ourselves" Cosima replied philosophically.

Alison sighed, "I don't know about you but I barely have control of myself." The memory of Aynsley's last moments was weighing hard on her now too.

"I mean they still need _us_. They need to monitor our bodies, our genes. It sucks but we're data to them" Cosima explained.

"And the longer we hold out" Sarah realized, "the more desperate they get."

"Right." Cosima pointed to the girls. "Which is why Rachel probably resorted to bringing Mrs. S. into this."

"Who is Rachel." Helena couldn't stay silent any more. She was happy to be included, but completely lost in the conversation.

"She's another one of us, another genetic-identical" her twin explained. "Only she was raised by Neolution. The ones you, Maggie, and Tomas fought. The ones that are trying to take control of all of us." Alison turned to Helena. "She's your opposite, Helena. You were raised on religion and she was raised on Neolution."

"Whooaaahh, mind is blown!" Cosima beamed out. "And I'm not even high!" It went even deeper than that she thought, because not only were they raised on opposing sides, but they were both restricted from the rest of the world and its vast array of knowledge and perspectives. Helena only ever learned the twisted religious dogmas fed to her by Tomas and Maggie Chen while presumably Rachel only ever knew the ideals and promises of Neolution. She never had a chance to hear arguments questioning its necessity or its ethics.

Helena began to wonder what her life would have been like if the Neolutionists got her from Amelia which Sarah told her was their original plan. Would she still be a killer? Would she still not know how to make friends? Would she still have that black, empty feeling that had finally been starting to go away?

Before Helena could formulate a philosophical comment on her identity, Sarah stopped Cosima's tangent before it could get started.

"I'm sure you could have a fascinating experiment there, but we need a bloody plan." Putting everybody back on task, Sarah ventured a plan. "I'll go in again. Talk to Rachel, try to work out a deal or maybe just put her out of her misery".

"Wait, Sarah" Alison jumped in. "You have to stay with Kira...She needs you. I'll go...And I owe it to Siobhan...She took me in when I had nowhere to go." Alison placed her hands on her lap, satisfied with her proposal. She looked over at her fellow clones one by one, ready to challenge any dissent. Nothing else mattered to Alison at this point. She had been a horrible person for long enough and it was time to do something good for once. It was time to do something brave for once.

Cosima was intrigued and added, "And they...might actually trust you more since you signed the contract."

"Ok...that's that then" Alison concluded. "And if they want to black-bag me and perform their experiments, so be it. Just promise to get Oscar and Gemma away from Donnie."

"Well a sample size of one might not help them very much" Cosima pointed out. "So I wouldn't worry about that too much. And they can't just keep hunting us and risk us getting killed. You can use that when you talk to Rachel. Still I think we need someone else in there too. Someone to look for Mrs. S. while Rachel's occupied."

Delphine had been following the discussion from the other side of the bed. As soon as she said it she knew she had just volunteered herself. "And to look for your medical data." Cosima looked at Delphine, eyebrows raised as a wave of fear went over Delphine's face. It was what the group, and Cosima especially, needed even though it terrified her. "You're the immunology PhD" Cosima mused, grinning for the first time in a while.

So the plan started to take shape. Alison would pretend to be negotiating for the return of Mrs. S. while Delphine would pretend to be looking for answers about Dr. Leekie. In reality, she was supposed to drug whoever she came in contact with and search for Mrs. S. and / or information on Cosima's illness. Neolution had provided Delphine with weeks of training on covertly digging for information in a pinch; now she would use it against them. After succeeding or if she had to abort, she would text Sarah in the getaway car and text Alison to stop her meeting with Rachel.

Alison secretly thought she would need to use her taser or maybe even something worse to get out of there. Jolting a thug like Vic was nothing compared to this plan, and she seriously considered the possibility that this could be her last day in the 'normal' world. Cosima had been wrong before. Nothing in her simple suburban life could have prepared her for this. What would Aynsley be saying if she were here right now? Another huge mistake? When _Good Housekeeping_ wrote that putting friends over family could lead to a downward spiral, they had no idea.


	5. Chapter 5

Delphine was sorting through her outfits in the tiny hotel closet looking for something unassuming to wear to Neolution headquarters. Cosima, still poring over the genetic data while trying to keep her breathing steady asked, "So remind me again how you'll get past their security to find what you're looking for?"

"Well...I have some...I have some drugs that I can slip in their drink or in their food. Dr. Leekie gave them to me." Cosima turned her attention away from the laptop and slowly peered over at Delphine with an analytical look.

"You're right. They were supposed to be for you" Delphine said. "But I decided I would try a different way of distracting you instead." She was blushing and bit her lip thinking it might not be the best time to try flirting with Cosima again. Cosima tossed her head up to the sky sending her dreadlocks bouncing in all different directions. She couldn't help but crack a smile, though it was still tinged with the pain of the roller coaster ride Delphine put her through. There was that ephemeral moment after the kiss in the lab where the rest of the world completely disappeared, but it was all under false pretenses and doomed from the start.

She finally looked over at Delphine and reconsidered for a second. Delphine was risking everything to help her and the rest of the clones. Cosima knew from her past heartbreaks that it was in her nature to give her a second chance, eventually. "Delphine, good luck tonight, but whatever you do just be careful. We can still work with this data if it doesn't work out."

...

Alison stepped out of the taxi in front of Neolution headquarters. Rachel Duncan's last words to her were still echoing in her mind. "9pm. Be on time; we have a lot to discuss. Arrive alone." She walked towards the bank of elevators as the layout of the building was exactly as Sarah had described to her.

"Alison Hendrix?" There were two security guards at the desk. "Hm? Yes, that's me". Was she getting black-bagged already? She was supposed to at least have the chance to send a message to Rachel before being abducted: the girls weren't compromising or giving up their freedom – no matter what.

"We'll have to take a look inside that purse first" the man nearest to her said. They got up from their seats and walked over to her as Alison slowly stepped back towards the entrance. She handed over her bag, again distancing herself from them. The first guard handed the pepper spray and taser to his partner. "You can't have those here ma'am".

"I always carry those! What is this, the airport?"

"They're waiting for you upstairs." He gave her a creepy grin and pointed to the elevators. The rude lack of a response to her question reinvigorated her. Of course they wouldn't allow her to bring even basic protection with her. They're the ones who turned everyone's life into a lie. They're the ones who don't care about Oscar, Gemma, and Kira having normal childhoods.

Meanwhile, Sarah waited at the townhouse to hear from Delphine or Alison. This was the first time she wasn't in the middle of the action, but couldn't enjoy it knowing that those two, not to mention Mrs. S., were all engaging the enemy just as Neolution was getting more desperate and tightening their grip. Still, it was nice to finally take a shower and feel safe enough that Felix could manage Kira and Helena, who continued to improve.

On the other hand, the three others had been getting a little stir crazy. Felix met Sarah in the bedroom, one eye still on Helena and Kira who were playing with the pictures of Paul and Beth and pretending to be the fake couple talking to each other. "I can't take much more of this minimalist apartment Sarah! And Kira should be playing with toys and board games, not bloody clone pictures!"

"Fee, we have to see what happens tonight first, yeah? Alison and Delphine are out there trying to help Mrs. S. and Cosima. I've got to be ready to get them out of there or in case something goes wrong."

"I know, I know. But after this we need to think about relocating. Teddy called is all I'm saying." He raised his eyebrow at his foster sister to indicate he wasn't fond of this long of a dry spell.

Sarah should have savored those relaxing moments in the shower a little more. Felix was thinking about shagging while one little misstep could send Helena right back into killer-mode.

"You know, we'd actually have some excitement if Helener went back to being possessed by the devil for a little while" Felix said, still yearning for a break in the boredom. Sarah could ignore the first comment but not this one. She grabbed him by the arm and squeezed hard which was as much physical force as she had ever put towards him. He tried to slink away but then realized he was in the wrong.

"This is still about getting Kira away from all of this!" She moved in close to make her point while keeping her voice down with Kira and Helena still in the living room. "Having Helena go back to being a wrecking machine doesn't help that!" She let him go and he sunk down to sit on the bed. Sarah walked into the living room to let off some steam and talk to Kira, which always helped her relax. Even though Helena was there too, pretending to be Paul, "Hallo Beth, how many criminals did you catch today?" it still helped.

...

From across the long, empty, dimly lit room Alison could see that Rachel was waiting at her desk starting straight at her. As Alison walked to the desk her adrenaline intensified, and she hadn't felt so much clarity in a long time. Even though she left her husband and children back home in the suburbs, she left the wine and the pills there too. She sat down to find herself in a staring contest.

"Well? Yes, we want Siobhan back. So what can I do for you?" Alison posed it more as a statement, showing that she was willing to negotiate, though she wasn't happy about it. Rachel leafed through some documents.

"Our offers to Sarah and Cosima still stand. What really matters is how much they are willing to loose. Mrs. S for example." Alison wanted to slap her for using such a caring woman against them, but she stood firm. Rachel continued, "Eventually we are going to get what we want, but the situation is going to get progressively worse for your friends...and Kira."

"What gives you the right to threaten that little girl!?"

"I believe you're already aware of that, actually...Let's take inventory of the situation. Cosima is sick and getting worse. Sarah and Kira are on the run from Helena..." Alison started to open her mouth to say something like, 'actually no, she's with us now' but thought better of it and remembered her game plan. "I'll have you know that Cosima and Sarah would rather die than submit to your experiments! As for me, I just want my children to be safe, and they will be. If you want to take me, fine. Trade me for Siobhan."

On the ground floor, Delphine walked up to the security guards and handed them her Dyad Institute Id. They scanned it, and allowed her to continue to the elevators. She knew where she had to go. Dr. Leekie had an office on the 4th floor- the hub for social, psychological, and medical data. With any luck that's where Siobhan would be held too as the scientists were interested in finding out anything they could about Kira.

She came to Dr. Leekie's office to find Allan Westlake whom she also worked with on Dr. Leekie's team. "Has Aldous checked in recently? I haven't heard from him" Delphine said in her best attempt at showing real concern. He pushed a button on a control panel by the computer. "Delphine, this was unexpected."

In the hallway Daniel Rosen appeared, flanked by Paul and Mrs. S in a lab coat. Paul stepped into the doorway. "Sorry Delphine."

"Siobhan, you're not a hostage" Delphine lamented. "I need a drink."

Sarah's eyes almost popped out of her head. Tuning into Delphine's wire with Beth's surveillance equipment, that was all she needed to hear. _I need a drink _was the signal that things had gone terribly wrong. Though, no one expected things to go this wrong this fast.

At Neolution headquarters, Rachel Duncan was responding to Alison's position. "Don't worry Alison, we look forward to...accommodating you here." She had more to say but was distracted by a beep signaling a new email. It was from Daniel Rosen. _Delphine Cormier in custody_. Alison's clone phone signaled a new message as well - from Sarah. _Abort. Get out!_

They both stood up, realizing their clone-counterpart was on to their plans. Rachel reached out to grab Alison's arm. "Alison, don't bother..."

"You're all liars and spies!" Alison channeled her kickboxing lessons and side-kicked Rachel below her knee. Her leg buckled and the heel in her shoe broke, sending the side of Rachel's head crashing into the desk. The impacts almost didn't register at first. This is what physical pain feels like, she realized.

There was a gash on the side of her head and her strawberry blonde hair was disheveled across her face as she was shuddering on the ground in the fetal position. "Security!" she gasped. They were already on the way as Alison stepped back, amazed that she had assaulted yet another person, this time a clone. The two security guards from the front desk handcuffed Alison from behind. The creepy one led her back towards the elevators while the other tended to Rachel.

As Sarah paced in the kitchen, Helena and Kira were still playing on the couch. Felix joined her at this new sign of trouble.

"Mrs. S wasn't a hostage Fee!"

"It was a trap? They're screwed in there then!" Then Felix realized what was coming next. "No. No, Sarah. It's a suicide mission!"

"I can't just leave 'em in there!" They both looked across the room to Helena, coloring in a book with Kira.

"I'll stay here with Kira" Felix offered. "This is what Helener was made for." Sarah was still pacing, shaking her head. "I'll go on my own. She's liable to kill anyone, even Delphine or Sarah." Felix was about to protest when Kira skipped towards them with a picture. It was Helena's stick figures: two women and a little girl. "Helena drew a picture of us!" They were in black ink as pens were the only writing utensils in the house, but there was more. There were flowers in the ground around the people, and little hearts above and beside the people. Felix wondered to himself, what about me?

"Stay here with uncle Felix, monkey. I need to talk to her for a minute." Sarah couldn't deny that Helena was making progress. Kira especially seemed to bring out the side of her that just wanted to be loved. At the same time, having consistent companionship seemed to suppress her sadistic side.

"Helena, how've you been feeling?" Helena smiled and Sarah could already tell this had probably been the best day of her life. "Better. Much better. Kira is very special. Thank you for letting us play together."

"Well I'm glad to hear it, but we've got a problem. Alison and Delphine are in trouble...with the scientists." Helena's eyes lit up, partially fear, partially her fight response, and some confusion too. "I need your help but you can't go off on them" Sarah warned. "If you start trying to attack people we could all end up dead."

"I've wanted to help. I can help now" Helena assured her sister. "I don't want to kill. How can we save them?"

...

It was going to be another leap of faith for Sarah, just like trusting Helena to help her at club Neolution. Both sisters were wearing black hooded jackets to cover their hair. On Rachel Duncan's floor, Sarah peeked around the corner towards the desk, and there was Rachel Duncan dusting herself off; the security guard spotted her and started running towards them. The next place to look was the 4th floor where Delphine said she was going, so Sarah scrambled to hit the elevator button.

"We should take stairs" Helena suggested, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway. "Safer!" Sarah hadn't even noticed the stairs before; her instincts told her to trust Helena's instincts. The stairs door closed behind them just as the guard got to the elevator, door open but no one inside.

On the 4th floor Daniel Rosen, Paul, and the other security guard were waiting in front of the elevator doors, each armed with pistols. Sarah and Helena darted from the stairwell across the hallway into the nearest room as a bullet shattered against the concrete wall behind them. They were in a testing room of some kind with EEG machines and computers that brought back the faint memories of Beth's medical test.

Through the next door, they came into a conference room where Alison and Delphine sat handcuffed.

"Jesus Mary and Joseph!" Alison exclaimed. "This is exactly what they wanted...we're all trapped!"

The security guard entered through another door, aiming his gun at Sarah. His gaze turned evil and creepy again. "Now I have three clones..." He commanded Sarah to put her gun down or he would kill Delphine. With the gun pointed at her head, she knew she was expendable and saw her life flash before her eyes. Even though meeting Cosima was the best part, it might be her undoing.

Sarah put the gun on the table and stepped away. Helena watched from the other side of the room as Alison looked back and forth between her and the security guard, not sure who she was horrified of more. The guard made a move towards Sarah and pinned her against the wall. "I think you're my favorite." Sarah cringed as he pressed himself against her. In desperation she looked over to Helena, who also looked horrified. Before she knew it she was clamping both fists together to punch him in the kidney, knocking him to the floor. Gasping for breath he tried to find the gun he dropped, but Helena was already on top of him. She grabbed him by the head and twisted. The sound of his neck cracking resonated around the conference room walls. Sarah was in shock while Alison and Delphine were white as ghosts. Helena sat on top of the dead guard with her mouth wide open in awe. Tears started to form in her eyes.

Then Daniel Rosen and Paul barged in from the medical room. Paul noticed the guard and immediately punched Rosen in the side of his head, knocking him out cold. "You all take the stairs and go out the front. I'll go out through the back" Paul instructed. Helena, Alison, and Delphine were dumbfounded. Sarah was relieved. He came through in the clutch just as Sarah had hoped.


	6. Chapter 6

"Helena, are you ok?" Sarah asked as she finally reduced the car's speed after getting several blocks away from the Neolution building. Helena was tense and curled up in the front passenger seat. She sat cross-legged, hanging her head. "I'm sorry Sarah." She was sniffling and holding back further tears. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I had to save you from that man."

"I'm glad you did Helena. I would have tried to do the same for you."

"But I told you I wouldn't kill. I wanted to show you I could be good. I failed." It was hard for her to even look at Sarah. She felt ashamed just like when she was scorned by Tomas and Maggie's for failing to remember a scripture verse or failing at a combat exercise.

"It's alright Helena. I know you tried" Sarah consoled. "It's just in your nature."

"No..." Helena's voice trailed away like a breath of wind. "They made me this way." Sarah contemplated the two paths Amelia put them on. Being raised an orphan and never having a permanent home the first several years of her life actually was the better of the two fates. If she had gotten the other fate instead, would she have rebelled against Maggie and Tomas? Or would she be a killer, the same as Helena?

...

In the morning, once Felix picked the locks on Alison and Delphine's handcuffs he wanted more answers about the escape from Neolution. "So Paul returned the favor...do you think he'll come back for you Sarah?"

"He's probably halfway to Rio by now" Sarah remarked. She was rubbing her eyes and trying to wake up after another poor night's sleep. Alison added that "There were security cameras everywhere in that room, so they saw what he did. And what Helena did." She shuddered just thinking about the whole situation.

"It won't be long until they come looking for us again" Delphine pointed out. "Knowing that you are working together, that myself and Paul have helped you...they are not happy."

"Like I said" Felix reminded everyone, "it's time to ditch this plastic penthouse! Helener cursed it anyway, with all her rampages."

"Cosima and I have to get back to our lab" Delphine added. "It's our only way to find a treatment now." Sarah perked up. "Minnesota? It was only you and Dr. Leekie over there, right?"

"Yes. Of course the rest of them do know...they know Cosima is a student there. But Dr. Leekie and I were the only ones on site." Felix realized what his foster sister was planning. "Wait a minute Sarah! I meant something like hiding out in the next city down the road!" He started pacing, throwing his arms up in the air. "You want to cross the border while we're bein' investigated by Art and DeAngelis?"

"I crossed the border lots of times on the run from the cops. I wouldn't risk the airport but they don't have enough security at all the borders to worry us." Nonetheless, Felix had his doubts. "Over-ruled by my sister again" he lamented.

Alison sat silently while this plan developed; she was contemplating Oscar and Gemma once again. "I'm sure they know where to find me" she pointed out. "But I should stay and protect my kids. You all go and get Kira away from here. I'll stay in touch." She had the look of decisiveness again. It was best for her kids and best for the group, even if it might mean getting abducted again. "I'll let you know if Rachel rears her ugly head again too."

The University of Minnesota was the next move then. Sarah called Cosima to make sure they were on the same page with their route and destination. Cosima and Delphine were doing the trip in one day, probably arriving around midnight. Sarah knew they would have to stop for Kira to get a good night's rest, and it would probably be better to arrive at different times anyway. Cosima had one last piece of advice. "Just make sure to watch out for them. Like you said, it would be hard to spot us at the border, plus there are so many people traveling for the holidays. But we still don't know how vast their network is."

"Don't worry. We'll stop for gas and snacks, nothing else. Once it gets dark, we'll find a motel somewhere out of the way."

"Not much of a road trip" was Felix's sarcastic observation.

"Oye! Go wake Helena up, we're getting out of here! Ok Cosima. Good luck."

Helena had spent most of the night shivering, wandering through the kitchen, and looking out the glass sliding door window. The kill haunted her as the sound of the neck cracking echoed in her head over and over again. Throughout the night her face was usually pressed up against the glass or the refrigerator as she tried to justify yet another kill. This is what her life was going to be like from now on she thought. Was she really even free from Maggie and Tomas? As Alison and Delphine slept curled up on the couches, still handcuffed, Helena did her best to muffle her sobs so that she wouldn't wake them. As the sun started to come up, she finally reached exhaustion and crumpled onto the floor in the space between the wall and the bed that Sarah, Felix, and Kira shared.

Felix emerged from the bedroom with Helena stumbling behind him. The red bags under her eyes had returned in full force just after they had started to fade away. She braced herself against the wall in about the same spot she had stabbed Dr. Leekie. Felix summed up the situation by noting, "Looks like we're ready...I'll take shotgun and sleepy-head can nap in the backseat!"

...

Of course, Sarah didn't agree with Felix's plan, even though it was only for seating arrangements. Helena couldn't be trusted to sit next to Kira even if she was passed out. So, it was Sarah at the wheel with Helena at shotgun, forehead jammed against the window and snoring occasionally. Felix fidgeted behind her in the backseat for the first hour or so. Kira was asleep too, making the initial stage of the trip fairly peaceful.

When Kira stirred, she had a new sense of energy. "Mummy, when can I drive?" Sarah chuckled, "Not for a while monkey...can't have you breaking the law like me". Felix played with her hair a little, feeling sorry she was stuck on this trip and separated from her mum. Kira's voice brought Helena out of her stupor as well. She arched around the seat to face Kira. "How are you monkey?" Seeing Kira was a welcome experience – a rare bright moment on a cold, dreary, and painful day. "I'm bored Auntie Helena" she replied while rolling her eyes. Sarah and Felix looked at each other confused. They had never specifically mentioned Helena's relation to Sarah; it must have been Kira's intuition again, and they decided not to fight it. Plus, Felix was in agreement with Kira. "Now that everyone's awake can we at least turn on some music? I can't stare at this melancholy scenery another minute!"

"Relax Fee. Cosima invited us out for a holiday, yeah?" She didn't want to explain how dire the situation was in front of Kira, but Felix was still reminded of the big picture. Sarah continued, "Tune-age is a good idea though" as she hit the radio dial. She scanned through a few stations getting mostly static and country music.

"Oye! That was Queen!" Felix exclaimed. He was getting on Sarah's nerves again. "Queen for the whiny little brother" Sarah announced. He rolled his eyes and turned to Kira. "Like I said before Kira, this is classic stuff".

Freddie Mercury's singing caught Helena's attention too.

_Each morning I get up I die a little,_

_Can barely stand on my feet._

_Take a look in the mirror and cry_

_Lord, what you doin to me?_

_I have spent all my years believin' in You_

_But I just can't get no relief._

_Lord, somebody somebody somebody_

_Can anybody find me_

_Somebody to love?_

Helena looked out at the dead trees and gray sky. "I like this song". No one else really noticed. Felix was entertaining Kira by playing air-guitar and air-piano. Sarah was ignoring everyone.

"_I just gotta get out of this prison cell_!" Felix serenaded. "_Some day I'm going to be freeee_!"

"We got a long way to go Felix" Sarah reminded him. "We're not even outta Canada." Felix, ignoring Sarah, continued to rock out and bob his head back and forth. "_Anybody find meeeee_" he shrieked.

"Somebody to love" Helena whispered to herself.

...

To Felix's credit, music had made the next couple of hours much more bearable. There wasn't a need for constant conversation and most importantly Kira was occupied by Felix's teachings on other classic rock bands such as Foreigner, Journey, and Rush. Helena was a fan of AC/DC. But just as the radio station started to fade out, a sign approached on the highway with stars, stripes, and a maple leaf: _CANADA / UNITED STATES BORDER 15 MILES_.

"Alright, getting close to the border" Sarah stated. "Everybody get your passports out and get ready like I told you at the gas station." Helena grabbed her 'Beth' hat and stuffed her hair underneath it. Felix gathered his and Kira's Canadian passports from a duffel bag underneath the seat.

When it was their turn to go through the checkpoint, the officer asked for Sarah and Helena's ids and passports first. "Aryanna Giordano and Janika Zingler...what's the relation?" he asked curiously. Sarah looked over to Helena.

"Cousins." Helena-as-Janika said. "And we met these cousins in Toronto" as she motioned towards Kira and Felix. "Then meeting more family in the states". The border officer did not know the difference between a Ukranian and an Austrian accent. "She does not speak much English though" Helena nodded towards Sarah. Sarah-as-Aryanna smiled politely. Her Italian accent needed work. The officer continued to look over everyones' papers.

"That's one international family! Well, it looks like your enhanced driver's license and passports are all current. Drive safe and happy holidays. Welcome to America."

Sarah had to give credit to Cosima this time. Collecting all of the Euros' id's and resources for international travel had gotten them away from Neolution for now.

Somewhere up ahead in Michigan, Delphine Cormier and Danielle Fournier were determined to get to Minnesota as quickly as possible. Cosima-as-Danielle was dreading the battery of complicated blood tests and analyses that lie ahead, but at least she decided not to take her dreadlocks out. "They're a new fad in France" Delphine had mentioned to their border officer.

...

Near Chicago, the grind of a long day's drive finally started to catch up to Sarah. "Rush hour. Bloody brilliant" Sarah remarked. Snow was beginning to fall steadily. Felix had his palms on the window, looking like a caged puppy wondering if he would ever escape. "Let's just find a motel 'round here" he suggested. "We'll be snowed in in a couple hours!"

"I gotta get us past the city first" Sarah responded. "Less people." She looked back at Felix sympathetically, but also to remind him of the small margin for error they had with Neolution undoubtedly searching for them. She also wondered to herself if there might be another clone living unaware in the city. It was yet another reason to creep along the highway through the snow and slush.

After a couple more hours (and more Felix complaints) they were through the traffic and cruising north and away from the city. Kira and Helena had been sleeping on and off all day to deal with the boredom. Sarah not having that luxury just continued to grind her teeth and push through the drive. Once the amount of signs for shopping malls and restaurants started to decline, it was time to finally find a place to stay for the night. Sarah's head was pounding, so the next hotel near a highway exit it was. It looked a little more ritzy that Sarah first envisioned, but they were using Alison's money anyway.

The four travelers walked in, and Sarah promptly crashed on the large couch in the middle of the lobby. "Check us in Fee?" She tossed him the handbag with Alison's cash that they exchanged into American dollars. Kira joined her mum while Helena marveled at how clean and shiny everything was. Marble floors, a high ceiling, artwork of picturesque scenes: this was the first time she was in a building like this that wasn't a church. She followed Felix to the front desk so she could continue to look around.

Noticing Felix approaching, the night manager came back to the front desk. Helena's eyes were mesmerized by the flowers, Christmas trees, neon lights: all of the vibrant colors. The change of scenery brought a grin to her face.

"Good evening, looking for a room?"

"Yes, just for tonight. Anything with two beds please" Felix requested. The manager pulled up his records on the computer. "Should be no problem. There. I've got a one-room two-bed..." His eyes met Helena's peaceful gaze. She realized he noticed her. Getting nervous and turning rigid, her grin faded. The manager fixed his glasses and loosened his tie, gathering himself. "One-room two-beds near the indoor pool. Room 153." Money and room keys were exchanged. Felix was not interested in the pool, the manager, or Helena's big moment. He twirled around and walked back towards Sarah and Kira. Helena remained for a moment, frozen by the attraction. The manager smiled and asked, "Need anything else?"

"Hallo...No. Bye-bye." She couldn't think of anything else to say and backed away, trying to smile before turning back towards the safety of her group.

At the room, everyone except Helena passed out almost immediately. Sarah was the one snoring this time. Helena's thoughts were racing, but kept coming back to the unassuming man who seemed to be taken by her smile. Were all hotel men like him? Should she go back out to talk with him again? Was it a dream? No, it was real, but something from the real world she was still only waking up to. She needed to sleep; try and relax; meet him again tomorrow when her mind was clearer.

...

Helena awoke before everyone else. While the others were starting to stir, she sat on the edge of the bed to psych herself up for the meeting with the hotel man. She expected to find him at his desk, but upon approaching the lobby there was a woman working there. She was filling out paperwork and talking to other co-workers. None of them were the man from the night before. Helena wandered around the lobby looking for him. The warmth of the colors and decorations was the same as before, but he was nowhere to be found.

Sarah came up behind her and grabbed her arm. "What are you doing? We're supposed to stay together!"

Helena pointed to the desk. "I was..."

"Come on. We've gotta go."

Felix was stuffing biscuits and fruit into a bag at the continental breakfast. Sarah motioned to him and he walked Kira over to them. They were out the door and in the car before Helena could even process the situation. The hotel man was gone and they were back on the highway. Helena found herself staring back out at the dead trees and gray sky wondering what might have been.


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah pulled off of the interstate at the exit Cosima had just directed her to via the clone phone. Compared to the grind and stress of Chicago, seeing this city made Sarah want to shout 'Halelueia!' even though she couldn't stand religion. Of course she couldn't do that anyway as Kira and Helena were napping once again. They both looked peaceful, their breathing patterns essentially in sync; but just by looking at them you couldn't tell the difference. Kira was off in the blissful sleep of childhood ignorance while Helena slept to hide from her longing and confusion.

Back in Canada, Alison had remained vigilant in her home. Donnie had been working overtime lately and when he actually was home, he was on the phone with his boss, "Big Rich". She sat down with her gun, phone, and glass of wine in her craft room to load the newest recording from her "nanny cam". It revealed Donnie on the phone once again. "I'm serious! She hasn't told me anything about the other clones! She seems perfectly happy; she's acting like everything is fine!" He paused to listen to the other person on the line. He sat down on the bed, tense and holding his hand on his head. "Minneapolis? Why would they go there?" Alison jolted back in her seat. She dialed Sarah as her grimace started to strain her jaw.

Sarah and the rest of the group were walking up to Cosima's building when the all-too-familiar ring tone started beeping. For her it signaled another reminder of the nightmare they were all in. "Oye-Oye, Alison. What's up" she asked in a disinterested tone.

"Sarah? They know where you are!"

"Shite. Figures. Thanks." She hung up, utterly exhausted and also not surprised at all that they had been tracked. Alison on the other end was flabbergasted. With her mouth agape, she dialed Cosima. The scientist was trying to stay awake herself, but her reason was that she was up all night coughing. She sat at a chair by her door with her head down while the phone sat ringing on her desk. All she could do was groan. While Delphine was working at the lab, she had to stay awake because Sarah and company were arriving soon. Alison's call went to voicemail. She slammed her laptop shut and stormed out of the room with her glass of wine. "Fine! I guess no one needs Alison anymore! Risk my life which is a lie anyway, and now I'm just some common bozo..."

The knock on Cosima's door was a relief to her. Without getting up, she reached for the lock and unhooked it, letting the four guests enter. Another coughing fit overcame her. As she gyrated from the spasm, blood splattered onto Kira's arm as she walked by. The little girl screamed at the hideous sight, "Mummy! Is this blood? What's wrong with Auntie Cosima?"

Sarah grabbed a towel from the sink to wipe off the blood, not really getting it all. "She's just a little sick Kira; it's ok." But the words weren't very comforting to Kira as she looked back at Cosima aghast that such a bad thing could be happening to a good person.

Cosima wiped a tear away as she was bobbing and swaying on the chair. Her foot accidentally knocked over an empty energy drink. Helena and Felix stood awkwardly close to each other by the work desk, not sure of their role in the current mess. Cosima groaned out "Delphine made you guys lunch. There's sandwiches in the mini-fridge." The adults gravitated towards it and Felix passed Kira a sandwich. Sarah finished her sandwich twice as quickly as Helena did. Then the exhausted punk wandered over to the bed and collapsed.

After a couple minutes of contemplating just how claustrophobic and awkward of a situation he was in, Felix helped Cosima to the bed. Not even he would dare complain now though, as Sarah had done all the work to get them there and as Cosima was clearly suffering. He nudged Sarah out of the way to make a space for Cosima.

Meanwhile, Helena and Kira were exploring Cosima's things. They moved from the bookshelf to the work desk and became fixated on the blue and green lava lamp. Both of them studying it up close, Kira asked, "It's pretty, but what is it?"

"It looks like the work of the devil" Helena speculated.

"What?" Kira giggled. "Come on Auntie Helena. She doesn't worship the devil!"

"But how does it move and change? It's not natural." Kira was giving her a quizzical look. Helena started laughing at herself. "Maybe you're right, angel. I am just confused."

...

When Sarah rose from her nap, she briefed Felix on the news she heard from Alison. She couldn't bring herself to tell Cosima who was still fast asleep and didn't need the burden of more bad news at the moment. Kira and Helena were looking through biology textbooks. Felix was thinking ahead to the next move and ready to bolt. "So there's two reasons we can't stay here. Neolution knows where Cosima lives, and she lives in a tiny little studio apartment."

"I'm with you Fee. We need more room and somewhere they wouldn't expect."

"We can't meet our demise on a college campus, Sarah. It would be embarrassing enough if anyone knew we were here."

"Yeah. With the rich smarty-pants" Sarah joked. "I always did wonder what college would have been like though...Sororities, studying, yearbook clubs." She smirked and thought about how she probably didn't miss much. "Might of liked the parties though."

Felix added, "You would have cheated your way through, beat up all the sorority girls, and started your own punk rock club." He was relishing in his joke while Sarah stared off into space. "Sarah? What do you think about your college shitestorm?"

"Wait. We're on a college campus. It's holiday break" she said. "Let's just break into one of their dormitories!" Felix tried to think of a reason why this was a bad idea, but the idea of crashing (and maybe trashing) the smarty-pants dorm rooms was too tempting. "You know what? Now we're talking. Maybe this trip will be worth it after all...Or you'll be wanted in two separate countries!"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Sarah chuckled.

Kira walked up to her mum as Sarah and Felix finished their chat. "Are we going to be ok mummy? You've looked scared a lot lately." Sarah was caught off guard and the uncertainty showed in her face as she stared blankly back at her daughter. She relaxed and replied, "Kira, darling...Everything's going to be fine." Kira didn't look convinced; her intuition told her otherwise. "We're always hiding, Auntie Cosima's sick, you look worried a lot" she observed, matter of factly. Sarah paused, then came close to Kira while Felix and Helena looked on from the other side of the room. "You're right Kira, we're in a bit of a jam. But I promise, I'll always be here for you. I'll always protect you."

They hugged and then Sarah took a seat to try and regroup. She was on damage control from so many different angles, and she knew it couldn't last forever, especially with Neolution somewhere in town. Helena stepped in to comfort Kira. "She's right Kira. Your mother is very strong."

...

After the sun had gone down, it was nearing the time to break into one of the dorm rooms. Felix and Sarah agreed that they ought to wait until at least midnight so there would be less people around. That left them with more free time than they knew what to do with considering all the scrambling around they had been doing over the past week. Despite the risk of being identified, Sarah decided it was time for a little rest and relaxation. "I've got to go out, or I'm gonna lose my effing shit" she told Cosima. In her raspy voice the scientist recommended a little known dive bar off campus that only the townies went to. "Perfect." Sarah decided. "Off the beaten path, won't draw any attention to ourselves."

Even though she was little more than a tour-guide, Cosima enjoyed helping Sarah find a spot to drink away her frustration. It was agonizing not having the strength to theorize and develop experiments with Delphine, so at least she was making some sort of a difference.

Helena had been stalking the conversation from the kitchen area. She finally approached her sister, "Sarah, may I come with you?" Caught off guard again, Sarah felt guilty for not thinking of her. She had been on a mission to keep Kira safe and forgot that she didn't have to treat getting a drink like a mission too. "Sure Helena, we'll leave Kira and Cosima to get their rest". Helena grinned, and then seemed to question her excitement. Why did she want to put herself in another brand new, unknown situation?

Felix went to go search for his own 'party'. Delphine stayed behind at the apartment. From Sarah's perspective, the choice to trust Delphine with Kira was only half based on Delphine earning her trust. The other half was pure exhaustion.

When they arrived at the bar, there were only a few people sitting at a table; of course they turned their heads to catch a glimpse of the outsiders. Sarah was glad she wore a tossel cap that somewhat hid her face and their "connection". The bartender wasn't even around, but Sarah didn't mind. It was a place to sit down and forget about being in a life and death situation.

"So, Helena" Sarah said as she eased into her seat. "What did you think of that road trip?"

Helena was twisting her head to look up at the ceiling. "There is money on the ceiling. And writing." She was giggling and mesmerized. A dive bar tradition, Sarah thought. "You should draw one of your family pictures up there" Sarah joked. Helena just looked at her, confused and not getting it. Sarah noticed the return of the bartender and hopped up from their table to make her way to the bar. A few lively drunk people stumbled through the entrance.

Sarah sipped her bourbon then took a big gulp while enjoying the burn even more than normal. This was a true moment of freedom with Felix out looking for god knows who and Kira with the scientists. There was still Helena to manage, but she seemed content to observe the people come and go as the regular crowd started to roll in. Sarah brought her a Shirley Temple to help her fit in at least a little bit.

Unfortunately for Helena, though she seemed calm on the outside she was utterly lost. This was the real world that everyone else got to live in. She was here now, but nearly thirty years late. What was the point of getting better, calming down, being more like her twin sister if she had no idea how to translate that state of mind into social interaction? As Sarah took a deep breath and drifted off into the calm of her buzz, Helena watched as all the people – happy, angry, drunk, nervous, all passed by while a tear rolled down her cheek. The energy in the room was increasing and the movement of each person seemed to speed up, so of course no one noticed.

After getting a refill, Sarah did see how glum Helena looked and realized how hard of a spot she had put her in. She wasn't killing anybody, but she wasn't exactly on track to being the life of the party either. Even though she was her twin sister, Sarah knew she was poorly equipped to nurture Helena into a functional, regular person. Over the years she had a hard enough time raising Kira, and that was when she was actually around to be a mum.

...

It didn't take long for Sarah to tinker with the id scanner at the dorm before the door was open. "If we ever get out of this, I might hit a few more colleges like this" Sarah speculated.

"That easy?" Felix wanted to know.

"That's practically begging you to break in" Sarah observed as she ushered everyone else inside. Felix grabbed a crooked paper-clip from his pocket. "I prefer old-school myself." They wandered down the hallway on the first floor trying to decide which room to break into. They scoffed at plain doors and any room that had male roommates. "Two girls with all these decorations" Felix noticed. "Pictures, magnets, message boards... a fun room with a lot of merchandise!"

"Kim and Keri" Sarah read from the name tags amongst the decorations. "Think we found a winner." So Felix set to picking the lock while the rest of the group continued to tour the hallway.

The room had bunk beds and a large lounge chair that Sarah crumpled into. Kira snuggled next to her and could fit inside the rest of the empty space in the chair. Felix made his way to the top bunk. "Room for everybody. Just what we were hoping for...but you always had the top bunk in the orphanage, Sarah." That was not a time she reminisced much about, but she laughed as she let the alcohol lull her into a deep relaxation. Helena shut the door and tiptoed towards the bottom bed. She looked around at the computers, posters, clothes, TV...so many more things and experiences that were never a part of her life.

Sarah didn't take long to pass out but Kira wasn't quite as comfortable. Then she caught a whiff of Sarah's bourbon breath which smelled repulsive and borderline frightening. She got out of the chair and noticed Helena tossing and squirming on the bottom bed. Kira popped up onto the bed just as Helena turned to face her. Helena lit up with surprise. Kira nudged her over to make a space before Helena could even react. "Mummy's drunk" Kira whispered. Helena continued to beam and offered her the pillow. "This is your first sleepover, isn't it?" Kira realized. The little girl seemed to be the only person who could reach through Helena's confusion and anxiety, and Helena had never felt more at peace. "It is, but I'm glad you are here to be my friend" Helena replied. "Sleep well angel."

...

At 4am, Scarborough time, Alison was creeping downstairs looking for Donnie. No TV on in the living room, so he wasn't watching cricket in there. She crept down the next flight of stairs where she could see a dim light emanating from the basement lounge. Then she heard Donnie's hushed, strung out voice. "Why won't anyone tell me why this little girl is so important already?" Alison pulled out her gun. The taser was in the other hand. She rushed down the last set of stairs and pointed the gun at him. "Step away from the computer!"

"Alison! It's not what you think!" He moved to shut the laptop, but Alison cocked the gun and he froze. She marched up to him and tased him, knocking him off of the couch. As he squirmed and cried out, Alison sat down to the laptop. It was Rachel Duncan.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is the last chance for you and your friends" Rachel told Alison. "After this, if we do not receive cooperation, all offers and contracts will be revoked."

"Wait, I already signed!" Alison protested.

"Yes. But we have decided we require everyone's cooperation. This is a fluid situation, and your friends have forced our hand once again. That is unless Sarah and Helena would like to come back to the bargaining table." Alison was rigid and tense, wanting to reach through the computer screen to strangle the proclone. Then there was a knock at the basement door; Alison turned and pointed her gun at the door, almost firing.

"You'll want to leave your children with your husband today" Rachel suggested.

...

In the dorm room the sun had barely started to peek through the window. Sarah woke up with a desperate urge to use the bathroom. Oh yeah, the bourbon, she thought. She noticed Kira sleeping peacefully beside Helena. Both of them were still and in a deep sleep, breathing softly. Sarah would have investigated further, but the bathroom was calling her and of course it had to be on the other side of the hallway.

When Sarah exited the bathroom, Daniel Rosen and the surviving security guard from Neolution were there waiting for her. "You're coming with us Ms. Manning" Rosen stated. As Sarah was about to scream out to her daughter, the guard rushed to cover her mouth and put a gun to the side of her head. She didn't believe they would kill her, so she continued to struggle and screamed out a muffled cry for help. Rosen responded by injecting her with a drug that quickly subdued her.

Not long after, Felix hopped down from the bunk bed. At first he was surprised to see Sarah missing. Maybe she was out for some fresh air, he thought. Then he jumped a step back upon realizing Kira and Helena had spent the night beside each other. He rubbed his eyes. Kira looked completely at ease, as if Helena had been a lifelong family member instead of a serial killer. He couldn't bring himself to wake them, but Kira sensed her uncle and gradually stretched out and opened her eyes.

"Morning, love" Felix greeted. Kira looked over to the lounge chair. "She must have stepped out for a sec" Felix claimed.

Time passed; Felix walked around the room and took stock of valuables like the TV to take his mind off the sinking feeling that something had happened to Sarah.

"Did mummy run away again?" Kira asked.

"Darling, of course not" Felix tried to comfort her. "I promise that's not it." Kira could sense his anxiety as he sat with her on the edge of the bottom bunk. He started to tremble, and Kira turned around to look at Helena still fast asleep. Kira was glum and she reluctantly tapped Helena on the shoulder. Helena didn't budge. "Helena." Kira called out. She continued to nudge her and pull at her arm. "We've got to go find my mum!"

Helena finally opened her eyes with a look of bewilderment. "What?" She looked around and remembered where she was. "I dreamed I was in the convent".

"Sarah went missing" Felix reported to her. It was no use trying to assuage Kira anymore. His admitting defeat in the matter made it all the more real for Kira though, and she started to cry. Helena sat up to move beside Kira. She knew it had to be the scientists; it was jarring to see Kira suffering. "Don't worry, angel. We can find her." Felix flashed a ghostly look over to Helena. His faith was considerably weaker than hers.

When the drugs wore off Sarah awakened to realize she was lying on a cold metal floor in the back of a van. Her hands were tied and she couldn't see through to the passenger area. She lurched herself up to the front so she could kick at the metal wall that barricaded her from her captors. It made no difference and she decided to save her strength. She had to remember the big picture; they were still after Kira. Sarah concentrated her thoughts on her daughter, but she could only think of the image of Kira sleeping next to Helena.

At the moment, the killer's job now was to console Kira while Felix paced back and forth in the tiny dorm room. "I guess I don't have a mum again" Kira observed. After wiping some tears away she was coming to grips with a pain she had gotten used to over the course of the year. Helena held Kira's hand and recognized that pain because it was so similar to what it was like being an outcast with no family. She remembered being Kira's age at the convent where prayer and silence were enforced with beatings. There was no tenderness; only loneliness. Over the years, Helena learned to suppress her need to be loved; that was until she met Sarah and Kira. She couldn't bear the thought of Kira going through the same experience that changed her from an innocent little girl to being hardened and unemotional. If Neolution had their way, it could be Kira's destiny too. She held back her tears because she wanted to be strong for Kira.

Then the clone phone started ringing from one of the desks which sent Felix jumping away in surprise. "Bloody ring-tone" he commented as he picked it up. "Cosima" he announced to Kira and Helena. "Cosima, we lost Sarah."

"I know. They're here Felix." She paused and he heard coughing in the background. Their plan to avoid Neolution was futile just as he feared. "Rachel is here and she's got directions to where we can meet to talk about Sarah" Cosima reported. Felix had to sit down as the gravity of the situation sunk in. He hung his head which signaled more bad news to Helena and Kira.

At Cosima's apartment, Rachel ushered Alison in the door. Cosima stared at her in surprise. "Private jet" Alison explained in a terse manner. She never thought a luxury experience would be so nerve-racking. "How do we know what they're saying is true anyway?" Alison demanded. Rachel pulled out her phone and presented Alison with the picture she just shared with Cosima. It was Sarah, tied up in the back of the van with a fresh bruise on the side of her face. "Oh my god" Alison covered her gaping mouth. Cosima frowned, resigned to the fact that Neolution had the upper hand once again.

"Not only do we have Sarah" Rachel remarked, "but we can also offer you a treatment for your...cough, Cosima." Breathing heavily, Cosima looked up in awe of the possibility of a scientific achievement and an end to her suffering. Alison was not convinced however. She marched up to Rachel. "I suppose you have proof for this too? I may not be a scientist but..." Alison was waving her arms in the air, but Rachel cut her off. She reached for a flash drive from her purse. "It worked for me" she fired back as she actually showed some emotion and mimicked Alison's glare. Then Rachel dialed her phone. "Send her up".

Delphine arrived after Rachel's instructions. "What do you think about our respiratory treatment Ms. Cormier?" Rachel asked. Delphine looked at the floor, then towards Cosima in regret. She knew the two of them could never have completed the work in time to save her. "It's brilliant. They're brilliant" Delphine explained. Even though she was ashamed of her shortcomings, she had the same glow as when she was discussing Dyad Institute research with Cosima. "And you're brilliant too Cosima; you...you have no idea. You need to compromise with them."

Still inside the van, Sarah felt it mercifully stop after bouncing around against the walls for a half an hour. The doors to the back of the van opened to the view of an empty warehouse with only a few boxes and pieces of machinery scattered around. Streaks of light shined through the high windows which lit the otherwise dark and dank building. As she moved towards the opening the security guard grabbed her by the shoulder, slid her out of the van and let her drop onto the concrete floor.

"You honestly thought you could get away?" the guard asked as he kicked her in the back. "What a joke!" He moved his leg back to kick her again when Daniel Rosen rushed up behind him. "Wait! You just had to bruise her for the picture. It's over. Relax!" Rosen's command got the guard to back off of Sarah, but he was still livid.

"My brother's dead because of you!" the guard shouted at Sarah. "He died in that stupid conference room! On his knees! He's dead because of you all!" Rosen dragged him away from Sarah as he pounded his fist against the van.

...

Felix was nearing the address Cosima instructed him to meet at. He found himself in the outskirts of the city driving through a mostly abandoned, rusting neighborhood. The warehouse was up ahead past some yards with overgrown grass and wildlife. The only neatly kept property was the one in front of an old church. Helena looked out the window and was reminded of so many places she had squatted in while on the hunt for her clones. Kira was in the backseat reeling from the tension of the day.

"Where are we?" she asked as she too noticed the surroundings. Felix looked back to her as he pulled up to the warehouse. "We're going to see your mum, like I said monkey". Kira thought to herself, this is where mummy goes when she runs away? Felix was surprised that he was keeping himself together. He also couldn't believe he actually listed to Cosima when she said Neolution wanted Helena _and _Kira brought to the 'negotiations'. He was supposed to keep Kira away at all costs, but now they had Sarah. This might be Kira's last chance to ever see her again. "Another bloody showdown" he mumbled to himself while getting out of the car.

A limousine arrived as Felix and Helena were looking around for the correct entrance. Rachel Duncan exited from the front passenger door while Cosima, Alison, and Delphine crawled out from the back doors. Cosima was walking slowly and trying to catch her breath as Delphine helped her along. Everyone looked at Rachel. "Follow me" she commanded.

As they walked into the large empty room, Sarah came into focus. She was slouched down on a chair, handcuffed, with Rosen and the guard standing behind her. Rachel took their side as the rest of the group kept their distance. Kira called out to her mum, "Mummy!" Noticing how bruised and beat up Sarah looked, Felix picked Kira up and tried to keep her from seeing. "I love you Kira. Stay with Uncle Felix" Sarah called out to her. Kira was still able to catch a glimpse and turned pale at the sight of her mum. She was in shock as Felix panicked and hurried her back towards the door. He was disgusted that they would let an innocent girl see her mother in that condition.

"Stay where we can see you" Rachel ordered. The command froze Felix immediately; instead of rushing outside he led Kira to a small desk along the wall that she could sit on. "Monkey? Let's just wait while mummy and her sisters have their talk" Felix suggested. Kira didn't react as the image of her bruised mother consumed her thoughts.

Helena looked over to them and wanted to join. She wanted to console Kira since Sarah could not. She could sense the beginning of Kira's psychological scarring and wanted to stop it, somehow. As she started to walk towards them, Sarah called her back. "Wait, Helena. It's time to get this over with."

"Indeed" Rachel added. "This is where things stand. Sarah is in our custody and you have no more traitors to exploit." The guard flashed his gun with a wild rage in his eyes to emphasize the fact of Sarah's 'custody'.

"We realize how serious you are about protecting Kira; about ending these standoffs" Rachel continued. "That is why we are willing to be reasonable. I think it's time for you all to be reasonable as well. Remind yourselves that we're the ones with the guns." Rosen flashed his gun to the group. "If you want Delphine and Felix to live, you'll agree to this trade." Delphine shuddered. Sarah shook her head.

"Yeah, that's reasonable" Sarah sarcastically commented.

"You haven't even heard the proposal" Rachel looked down to her. "It's simple, really. The gene therapy treatment that Cosima needs, in exchange for Helena."

Helena took a step back. Nobody ever wanted her. Why now?

"See?" Rachel asked. "Reasonable. You can leave Kira in the care of Felix, Cosima, Alison, whoever Sarah deems appropriate. In time there will be chances to be reunited with her, Sarah." Cosima stepped to the front of her group.

"But why Helena? Why no one else?" Rachel considered the question.

"Two clones, two identical twins; raised in completely different social environments. Our geneticists and social scientists will be pleased."

Sarah scoffed at the idea. "Science projects for everyone." Then she looked back to her confidants as she actually processed the offer. "You can't agree to it! Cosima! Once they have the two of us they'll just move to get Kira next!" Cosima stepped back to analyze the probability that Sarah was right.

Alison jumped in, "You've been lying the whole time! I'm sorry Delphine, I don't know you very well, and I love Felix, but this is bullshit!"

Sarah looked back at Rachel and the guard. "Ok. You're gonna have to just bloody shoot us before you take my daughter." Sarah was exhausted, hungry, dizzy, and aching all over. All the disorientations blocked out her inhibitions and gave her the guts to stand up to the aggressors, even though they had every advantage. "Someday you're little scam is gonna be exposed anyway". The guard marched up to her.

"Show some respect!" he demanded. He relished the chance to tower over her, even though he was only slightly taller than her when they were both standing up.

"Yeah right, respect" Sarah chided. "I'm supposed to respect a man who hits a woman. One who can't even defend herself. Sorry buddy, but I know you're type. You're the joke, not me." He shoved her chair, almost knocking her over. He pulled out his gun to hit her in the back of the head. Rachel and Rosen lunged to restrain him, and Rachel's cellphone dropped from her jacket pocket. Alison pounced to the floor and scooped it up while Helena charged to defend Sarah. "You won't harm my sister! You won't harm Kira!" Alison grabbed Helena by the arm to hold her back as she scrolled through Rachel's email. She read out two of the subject lines.

"_Sarah Manning In Vitro Schedule_, _Helena In Vitro Schedule"_

Alison tossed the phone to Delphine and charged Rachel. "Lying backstabbers!" she shrieked. Cosima followed in pursuit "You're a freaking disgrace to science!"

The guard moved to cut them off; Rosen tried to hold him back but before he could do anything the guard whipped him in the head with the gun knocking him unconscious on the floor. Helena was taken aback as the commotion developed, unclear as to why the words _In Vitro _set the girls on a rampage. She looked back to Kira who was being held back by Felix. She was calling out to Sarah again, seeming to want to help in the struggle.

Still on the warpath towards Rachel, who was quickly retreating from the ruckus, Alison punched the guard in the face which allowed her and Cosima to get past him. They promptly tackled her on the hard concrete as Sarah laughed at the guard. "Nice one, tough guy". Her anger of finding out about Neolution's plans for her plus her exhaustion had left her at the point of giddiness. Rubbing his nose, the guard was not amused.

"Go to hell!" and he pointed the gun at her. Helena turned her attention back towards them and rushed to stop him. Shielding Sarah, she punched the guard in the neck, knocking him sideways. The gun went off. Both of them fell to the floor. Sarah saw the guard was unconcsious but still breathing and convulsing from the hit. She looked over to Helena; a pool of blood rushed out from beneath her. She was shot; she had saved her.

After hearing the gun go off everyone rushed back to Helena and Sarah. Alison grabbed the guns from the men and pointed one at Rachel. Kira rushed up to her mother and put her head on her lap. She was looking over at Helena, realizing she had saved her mother. She was saved from becoming an orphan. Helena smiled at the sight of Kira safe with her mother and breathed out a sigh of relief as...she was gone.

Shock spread over the group. Alison reached for her necklace as a sound began emanating from outside. It was from the old church – bells chiming out the noon hour. Kira was hiding in Sarah's lap. Cosima stared at Helena for a moment and thought to herself, 'thank you'. She walked over to Rachel and confiscated the flash drive from her pocket. Sarah looked up to the ceiling, realizing they were safe for the first time in what seemed like forever – because Helena protected her.

...

With the handcuffs and two more sets of zip-ties, all three Neolution employees were restrained to the chair - inside the van. "That should buy us some time" Sarah surmised as she slammed the doors shut. Then she joined Alison and Cosima who were ready to carry Helena outside. As they exited the warehouse with her, Delphine and Felix were running back from across the street. "All clear over there" Felix reported. They were taking her to the church. Kira followed the procession, saying a prayer of "goodbye" and "thank you".

The End


End file.
